As reading scores go down, what’s being done to improve them? How might it help students? 

OSWEGO, N.Y. – Since 2012, reading scores have gone down for students who are 13-years-old or under.

It leaves many wondering what is affecting the reading skills that children are learning at different levels. Doreen Mazzyre, a childhood program coordinator and assistant professor at SUNY Oswego, explains that some children may be missing out on foundational skills at young age. 

“They don’t have strong foundational skills or haven’t been taught to really make sense of text in a deep way,” said Mazzyre.

Students are not always being taught certain skills properly, Mazzyre said. To help improve this issue, SUNY Oswego is working hard to find ways for future teachers to improve literacy education in the classroom

 SUNY Oswego gives education majors the opportunity to practice what they have learned during state-mandated student teaching assignments. 

“We work closely with our school partners and so our candidates have opportunities to assess children in schools in real-time,” said Mazzyre.

The science of reading is also important for both teachers and students to better recognize what other people need when it comes to teaching different reading skills and how to utilize them, Mazzyre said.